1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a manual cutting tool of the secateurs type.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 2,632,245 discloses a tool of the above type comprising two arms adapted to pivot relative to each other about a pivot axis, scissors fashion, the two arms each including on the same side of the pivot axis a member forming a handle and on the other side of said axis a cutting member having a cutting edge, the two members forming handles being adapted to be held by a user in one hand in respective holding areas equivalent to straight line segments mobile relative to each other substantially in a holding plane when the two members forming handles are moved towards each other against the action of a spring to actuate the cutting tool or when said members forming handles are released, the cutting edges of the cutting members being equivalent, at least near their free end remote from the pivot axis, to straight line segments mobile relative to each other substantially in a cutting plane when the tool is actuated, the holding plane containing a median axis of the members forming handles, the two straight line segments respectively constituting the intersection of the holding plane, on the one hand, the cutting plane, on the other hand, and the plane containing said median axis and perpendicular to the holding plane defining between them a lateral inclination angle.
This lateral inclination angle improves the cutting position, removes the hand of the user from the working area and achieves easier and more efficient cutting than a conventional manual cutting tool of the secateurs type, in which the cutting plane and the holding plane are coincident, the pivot axis being perpendicular to this plane.
However, a tool of this kind cannot accommodate under the best possible conditions all the cutting situations encountered in reality when pruning a bush such as a rose or a vine.
Experience shows that the intensive use of a tool of this kind often still causes pain or pathological conditions due to the biomechanical stresses operating on the user's bone, muscle, ligament and nervous systems.
FR-A-2 208 328 discloses a tool of the above type in which a median axis of the cutting members is in the holding plane, in which it is inclined downwards relative to a median axis of the handles of said tool.
A tool construction of this kind improves the conditions of use of the tool.
The aim of the present invention is to remedy the aforementioned drawbacks of prior art manual cutting tools of the secateurs type and to propose a tool of the aforementioned type which is simpler and more efficient to use, requires less muscular effort and causes less pain and pathological conditions than a prior art cutting tool, in particular through ensuring that, in use, the active part of the tool constituted by the cutting members is naturally presented in a position as close as possible to the ideal position and the hand of the user is removed from the working area.